The Jewel of the Mountain
by Kali.Incarnate
Summary: A continuation of The Lost Gem. In the years between when Smaug attacked and Thorin returns, what happened to Lapis? Left alive and alone with another dragon, pregnant, she continues to live with Smaug in the mountain. He tries to show that dwarves aren't to be trusted and to embrace who she could be as a dragon. Will she hold on or give in to the darkness that talks to her?
1. In the Time After

_Ladies, Gents, whatever you identify as, this is book 2. Please go back and read The Lost Gem if you haven't. For those returning, welcome back to my world. Please enjoy. I would also like to thank my lovely friend for helping me decide on a title. Love you_

 **Ch 1 In the Time After**

Smaug's claw pressed down slightly before lifting and sinking partway into the gold coin and treasure. He snorted, smoke blowing from his nose and clouding the tiny girl-dragon before him. "Well now, isn't this interesting. You smell like a dragon, but there is something else, something ... darker."

Lapis glared daggers, her fingers lengthening into talons as a growl threatened to escape. He was taunting her and she could barely recognize it through her growing anger. "You attacked my home."

"Hmmm...and your dwarf I suppose."

She hissed and lunged to her feet, but before she could get any further, Smaug pushed her back onto her butt. Her shift was quick and she tried to attack him again as a dragon, her own lethal claws trying to dig into his scaly hide. It was useless though and he opened his mouth, letting lava-like fire run over Lapis as she tried to do the same with her ice. The heat pushed her down to her belly and a low growl resonated from her, making Smaug laugh.

"You attack for a dwarf that is most likely dead, why?"

The image of Thorin burnt beyond recognition struck Lapis silent before the associated grief struck her and she flew at Smaug. All effort she had put into the attack was for naught when his claw pinned her down yet again and he rose from his bed of gold. She struggled against his hold, clawing and biting fruitlessly, while Smaug watched her innirritation.

"Enough!" The word shook the walls and Lapis stopped moving, hearing the dominance in his voice. Smaug snaked his long neck down so his head was near to the opalescent female. "Change back."

Lapis tried to not listen, but something in her, similar to the voice that used to talk to her, made her return to her human form. The claw wrapped around her and lifted her up eye level with Smaug, watching as his own gold eye blinked at her naked body.

"You carry eggs."

"I carry one child, my mates."

"Mate?" Smaug chuckled, the dark sound making her shiver. "And there is more than one egg in your belly. You are a curious thing, a shifting dragon... I'm most intrigued."

She was starting to feel faint, the effort of shifting was taking its toll. Red, black, and gold swam before her eyes as she swayed forward in his grasp. Tears welled up as the stench of burning flesh finally hit her and all thoughts went to Thorin, how most likely he was dead because if he wasn't, he would've come back for her. He always came for her. Her vision blackened and Lapis fainted in Smaug's hold, the last thing she saw was the rivers of gold and rainbow of jewels as he lowered his claw.

For days she slept, tucked into a small mound of treasure where Smaug watched her every move. Or lack thereof. If he had been a lesser creature, he would've thought her dead from the lack of movement. He watched over his unexpected ward with a curious eye, wanting more information on where and how she came to be here. Dragons were magic and there had never been a female. Her dragon form was stunning, scales shining like moonlight and the midnight sky with stars. In the second day of her slumber she had shifted back unconsciously back and Smaug was more relaxed, studious in his observation. What had him even more entranced was the day she cried and little stones rolled from her eyes and slid gracefully over her hide in rivers.

The great dragon knew what they were, and he hadn't seen them in an age. Pearls. But how did his female counterpart have the ability to create the precious stone? Smaug remained burrowed in his conquered treasure for the first few weeks while Lapis slept and the cold weather crossed over the mountain. Eventually, Smaug succumbed to his own hibernation. Before falling asleep, he covered Lapis in a portion of gold, leaving her snout uncovered, and did the same for himself. The silent echo of Erebor reigned during the snowy winter, not a creature disturbing the two dragons or coming near the mountain. The season passed over Middle Earth and soon, green buds started to peek through the bright white snow. Spring was pushing through and with it, a surprise for Lapis.

It was still cold in the mountain but buried in the gold neither dragon felt the effects anyhow. In the smaller pile, Lapis shifted and coins and jewels ran off her head and neck as she blinked at her surroundings. Where was she? She moved more, gently letting the gold run down the pile as she crawled out of the nest. Taking a deep breath, Lapis trembled at the memories that assaulted her from the scent of stale death. She was alone, Thorin was gone, and another dragon had driven out the only beings she would call family. Where was he? Her eyes swept up the mountains of treasure and spied his scarlet nose and one eye sticking out from where his head was buried. As Lapis went to move, pain radiated through her body and Smaug's eye popped open at her crying roar.

With a smoky snort, his great head rose and peered down at the pale dragon cowering on the ground in pain. "You are preparing to lay eggs."

Lapis hissed at him, "Why didn't you kill me?" It was the first time she had spoken to him as a dragon and hadn't realized it through the pain.

"To kill a female carrying dragons, it is against the magic created in us." He lowered his nose and nudge her back to the little nest she had been in before. "You will feel better when you give into what your magic is saying to you."

With nothing to do or stop him, Lapis half crawled back onto the pile of gold, shivering in pain. "You know nothing of me, I only carry one child."

"Deny the truth as you will, but I know more. I can sense three eggs and what they are, dragons like us. The smell of dwarf still lingers but it is tolerable." Smaug retreated slightly and breathed warm air over her. "Give into your instincts, they won't lead you astray."

With nothing else coming to mind, Lapis could only do as he suggested and collapsed into herself. The pain was centered on her lower body and she lost herself in her mind, not focusing on anything other than the cooing voice she hadn't heard in so long. It was saying the same as Smaug, and soon, the pain stopped. Without realizing it, she had laid eggs. Craning her neck, she looked around her body and saw three shimmering, white-blue eggs with her tail curled around them protectively. Her vision clouded and the tears forming in her eyes quickly turned to gemstones as they fell to below, gentle tinkling sounds filling the air.

"Why do you cry? This is a grand and joyous occasion for us. There aren't many of us left, your eggs will grow and take charge wherever they go."

Why did she cry? Lapis continued to stare at her eggs, filled with wonder and sorrow. Thorin wasn't here and he never will see his children hatched and grow. Why hadn't she died? Maybe they could have met in the stars like in one of the books she had read while laying on Thorin's lap. Stretching her neck to the sky, Lapis bellowed out in sorrow as her tears continued to fall. All she wanted was her mate here, next to her as their hatchlings would grow. Smaug said nothing as she curled around her eggs, wrapping them in warmth. She didn't know when they would hatch, but she did know instinctively what to do in that moment.

Over the next month, Lapis barely left her new nest next to Smaug. Unlike him, she still needed to hunt for food once in a while to sustain herself. In the short time she would leave, Smaug would cast either hot air over the eggs or breathe fire gently, so not to melt the gold around them. The first time Lapis had returned and saw the flames, she had attacked him, her ice catching him off guard on the side of his face. His answering roar had been fearsome and shook the mountain, but there wasn't any retaliation. She hadn't shifted back to her human form once, since her eggs were too large and couldn't be covered, Lapis had discovered inadvertently she had grown while sleeping. With the entrance collapsed, she returned to the mines to her old tunnels and nest but was unable to squeeze into the tunnels. They were going to have to be dug out again, especially with the need to get to all the gifts Thorin had given her before.

Smaug spoke to her every now and then, his speech between sleepy and lecturing. He spoke to her of their history, how they came to be, and how no one, especially dwarves, were to be trusted. Whether she listened or not, he didn't track. But the words were spoken and hung in the air, staying with her. It was on a day where he wasn't talking and it was silent in the mountain when a strange noise pricked their ears. Lapis was the first to move, since the sound was accompanied by a shift in her eggs. She slid down the nest and propped her head next to her babies and spied one of the eggs had a crack in the top and was wiggling in place.

"It is time then."

Lapis ignored him and watched impatiently for her children to climb out on their own. After some time, when night was about to fall, a piece of shell fell off and a tiny hand appeared. Who was more shocked, neither could say, but she watched as the small being tumbled from the shell. Lapis reacted quickly, catching it with her snout and blinked at the child. It had been born just like her, only much younger. Perhaps around the age of a two year old she had seen in Dale once. Her eyes moved down and saw its identifying feature, it was a male. Thorin's heir. Red-gold hair past his shoulders and the same gold eyes looking at her in awe as it thumped his fist against her nose.

The sound of cracking gained her attention again and Lapis moved her eyes to her other eggs. They were both hatching at the same time and she had no idea what to do with the one still laying on her. Gently, Lapis nudge her first born up the pile again and he rejoined the nest, watching the other two come into the world. The next one rolled its shell over and broke free, propped up on hands and knees. It looked around, spying its brother first and then Lapis, laughing when she poked it with her nose to turn it over. It was a girl, only with black hair instead with the exact gold eyes. She giggled when Lapis's tongue licked over her before doing the same to the boy. The last egg broke open minutes later and her third baby rolled out, landing next to its sister. This time, Lapis didn't have to look to tell it was a girl, though her coloring was much different. Her dark blue hair was spread out and the blue eyes that looked back at her were the same as Thorin's, the Durin blue that all members of that family were born with, distinguishing their birth line.

"They smell like the dwarf."

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 _Well now, I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter. please let me know what you all thought._


	2. How to Change

_Thank you for the reviews and follows everyone, glad to see you are enjoying the continuation. Hopefully this chapter continues that feeling._

 **Ch 2 How to Change**

Lapis stared down at her newly hatched children who were scrambling around her small nest wrestling with each other. They were beautiful, all in their own colors but similar in features. A sob choked her as it threatened to escape and tears burned her eyes, she turned away slightly to try and control herself before they fell. Thorin should've been here to witness this, to see his children born and grow. She should look for his remains, perhaps bury him as his people were so inclined to do with their dead. From her peripheral vision, Lapis saw Smaug inch closer to the three newborns with narrowed eyes. Still a dragon, she placed herself before his nose and in front of her nest; there was no way he was going to hurt her babies.

He looked down at the smaller dragon, amused she was trying to stand up to him again. Although it was instinct for animals to protect their young, she had been unsuccessful in all her attacks thus far. "I'm not going to eat them, I simply wish to inspect them." Her guard didn't lower much so Smaug twisted his neck around her, ignoring the bite she tried to inflict on him.

One of the children tumbled over the edge and slid down the pile of gold, squealing in delight and slopped when she hit the ridged edge of Smaug nose. Lapis watched as a small amount of smoke left his nostrils as Smaug breathed in her second hatchling. His hide was too thick for her to inflict pain, as she had tried on numerous occasions, and she stood by, poised to jump if he tried anything. However, she became frozen in surprise when her child giggled and jumped onto the red dragon and Smaug remained still.

"When are they going to become dragons like you did?"

She was hesitant to tell Smaug anything of her history, she didn't know what he would do nor how she came about really. "I shifted the day I was hatched."

"How?"

Somehow, her baby had remained clinging to Smaug's snout as he talked, giggling at the vibrations. "I don't know, I just did. I remained a dragon for many years afterwards."

"Hmmm." His head rose and Smaug shook off the child and she landed back into the center of the nest with the other two. "Either figure out how or I suggest changing back to a woman. I promise not to eat you." With those parting words, he slithered back into the mountain of treasure and buried himself again, only the tip of his tail and an eye visible to her.

Lapis stared at his hidden form, waiting for Smaug to move or do something else. When nothing happened after some minutes, she returned her attention to her three babies. She was going to have to name them, another task Thorin should have been involved with; but he had given her a name he liked and was for a boy or girl. Tarin. It meant from the earth, something preciously connected to the dwarf's origin as Lapis had learn in a lesson form Frerin. Thorin insisted it also meant beacon or light. Glancing back at the hidden dragon, she knew he was right. She had to show her babies they could change, it might mean their survival as it had her own. Within a few seconds, her body shrank and shimmered, reappearing as a human in the same shape as before she was pregnant. Lapis climbed up the pile and when she rose above the edge of the nest, all three turned to her and crowed in excitement. They knew who she was immediately, and Lapis fell into the center with her babies climbing all over her.

Days turned into weeks and her three children continued to grow as humans. Lapis had finalized their names in the first week, going through books she had read to find ones she thought would suit her babies. The boy, though being first born, wasn't given the name Thorin had chosen, to Lapis it didn't suit him. Instead, she named him Keahi, meaning fire or flames, after his red hair and gold eyes. Her second born was given the name Tarin after answering to it when Lapis said it out loud. The youngest was named Meio, meaning water, since her hair and eyes were blue as the river and sky outside. They were smart, realizing their names quickly and responded to them in turn, when they wanted. Lapis hunted for them when they slept, quickly finding fish or a wild animal closer to the forest to take back to her nest. While they hadn't shifted, their teeth and fingers could sharpen to eat whatever animal she brought back.

Smaug peeked out an eye the first time she brought back nourishment for her offspring and watched as they ate, disappearing once again into the gold when they didn't change. For all intents and purposed, he seemed to ignore them, but Lapis knew better. It was instinct, she could tell he knew what was going on at all times in the mountain he had taken over. What surprised her was he let Lapis and her babies live, the literature she had read in Dale always stated that dragons coveted gold with a fierce and dark desire. A sensation she had never felt, other than the inkling to collect certain gems and trinkets. The only jewels she coveted was the jewelry Thorin had given her and in the first week after her babies hatched, she had returned to his rooms to gather what she could and bring it back to her new nest. Lapis had the feeling it would anger Smaug greatly if she moved her nest towards the top of the mountain where he couldn't see her.

Everyday now, Lapis wore her head piece, necklace, and the silver clasp holding back part of her hair. She found that when she shifted into a dragon, they melded into her form and created a new design of scales, immensely pleasing her. After weeks of her three hatchlings not shifting, Lapis had decided maybe they needed to see her do it more often. They didn't speak, not that she expected them too, but they seemed to understand her when she talked, whether human or dragon. Every day, for almost a week, Lapis would sit them in front of her and change forms at least twice a day, so they could see and understand. It wasn't until Smaug decided to stir and involve himself did a result show.

It was a midsummer day and Lapis had just shifted back to human, frustrated with herself that there were still no results in her children's forms. Beneath her feet, the ground seemed to rumble and Lapis looked over to see Smaug emerging partway from under his hoard, his great neck snaking towards her babies. Fright overtook her and the only thought in Lapis's head was that the other dragon had finally had enough and decided it was time to eat them. She heard the intake of air but wasn't quick enough. The three had gotten excited at seeing Smaug again and Lapis was only able to grab her daughters, watching as Keahi ran to the huge, crimson snout that opened and released a jet of flames over him. Lapis screamed, covering Tarin and Meio with her body, scales sprouting over her skin to protect her from the flames. What was confusing however, was the lack of noise from her son. She looked up and instead of a little boy, there was a red and gold baby dragon rolling in the flames surrounding him.

To say she was stunned was an understatement. "What…how…did you know…?" Lapis couldn't form a complete sentence through her surprise.

Smaug stopped spraying flames at the dragon the size of his one talon and retreated back under the gold, leaving his head out. "It is a matter of circumstance, figure out the other two before I get annoyed again."

Lapis blinked at Smaug. That was his reasoning? He had gotten annoyed with her failures? She looked down at Keahi again and was surprised once again, her two daughters had abandoned her for their brother and were making little chirping noises at him. The idea wasn't wrong though, she had been scared into changed the day she had been born, this was just a different approach. Kneeling next to Keahi, she picked him up and laughed when his tail wrapped around her arm and neck around her shoulders. Perhaps this meant he was a firebreather like their unappointed and hidden guardian. Lapis turned a thoughtful eye to Meio, if they had powers after their namesakes, then her youngest might change in water. There was that large pool Thorin had brought her to long ago when Frerin had discovered her.

She set her son down, "Come. Let's go play." Her children chirped in excitement and chased after one another as Lapis led the way to the bathing hall. She could smell the water, thankfully since she didn't really know the way there.

Upon reaching the hall, Lapis picked up Meio as she made to run by and carried her to the water. Lapis was struck with indecision in that moment, should she toss her daughter into the water or swim with her? If it was a circumstantial change, then the greater the shock would provide the shift. She could only hope. Reaching the water's edge, Lapis hugged her squirming daughter.

"I believe in you."

With those words, Lapis threw Meio into the air and watched as she landed far into the pool, a large splash reaching her at the bank. Worried cries filled the air as Keahi and Tarin ran back and forth in the ankle-deep water, not understanding what had happened to their sister. The few seconds seemed like days to Lapis as she watched the rippling water, waiting for the surface to break again. Not able to wait anymore, she started to run into the water, intending to shift, when a little blue dragon head popped above the water. Lapis nearly cried with relief and called out to her youngest who swam over to her and curled around her as Keahi had before. It had caused her heart so much pain to perform such an action, but the outcome was undeniable. Now only Tarin had to learn and Lapis had no idea how to help her other daughter.

Wading back to the bank, Lapis set Meio down and watched as she and Keahi chased each other in circles, smiling when Tarin joined. Sitting on the ground, she watched her children play together, chirping and tiny roars filling the air. Soon, Keahi and Meio stopped and circled their bodies around Tarin, nudging and chirping at her. Lapis watched as concentration marred her baby face, lines forming on her forehead as her small fists clenched. Tarin was trying to shift and Lapis could only assume the chirping was their form of communication, encouraging her to turn into a dragon like them. It didn't work and frustrated tears leaked at the corner of her gold eyes as her siblings squeezed tighter around her, Lapis watching all the while. She knew eventually it would happen, but not sure of the means.

It took another few days of play and encouragement for Tarin to shift. They were chasing each other through the piles of gold, Keahi and Meio as dragons, and Tarin had dove into a pile of jewels to hide. When her siblings started attacking the pile, viciously digging through the treasure to find her, Tarin popped out with a growl, her black and white body a blur as she tackled her brother. Lapis couldn't have been happier in that moment, even when she noticed Smaug had an eye on them, she steadfastly ignored him. Her babies had more of a lead against someone who would harm them now.

One day, while they were sleeping, Lapis took advantage of her alone time to try and find Thorin in the piles of dead dwarves. A portion of them were rotted or burnt, but Lapis knew what to look for and began her search. It was another few weeks until Smaug spoke again while she was peering into a room where dwarves were piled up, like they were trying to escape through somewhere in here.

"You haven't found him, have you?"

Lapis ignore him and tried to smell Thorin's scent through the musky air and the smell of death.

"It would reason, little one, that he isn't here."

"Did you eat him perhaps?" Lapis shot back, closing the door to leave the dead dwarves in peace.

A dark chuckle filled the halls, "Dwarves are taste terrible, no, I didn't eat any."

"He wouldn't leave me." The statement was insistent and sounded weak to Smaug.

"How do you know? How long did you know him? If he were alive, and your mate as you have claimed, wouldn't he have come back for you?"

Tears itched her eyes and Lapis blinked them away as she looked at her three sleeping baby dragons. They preferred this shape right now, more fun to play on four legs with wings than just two legs. "He wouldn't have left us behind. Maybe he was hurt."

"Dwarves only care about themselves, the same goes for most creatures. Had he wanted to, he would've found his way back here regardless my presence."

"He didn't leave me."

Her words were small and Smaug closed his eyes again. There was nothing more to be said in that moment, there was enough doubt.

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 _To all my regular reviewers, if you have an idea or wish to see something written, message me and i'll see what I can do. Something to show my appreciation for you all._


	3. Continuing On

_So it has been ten years plus since Smaug attacked the mountain in this chapter._

 **Ch 3 Continuing On**

Time continued on in the mountain like there was no one else in the world. Lapis knew better but she also knew there was no where else to go. With three children who were half dragon with no control over themselves, there was no other home for them. Even if Thorin was alive. Her everyday life was centered around helping her children grow strong and teaching them all she knew and read about. Smaug intervened some days, interrupting her lessons she tried to hold with his own history. With the knowledge held in the tomes within the library, Lapis tried to raise her children in their environment but eventually, they kept trying to go outside. It had been some years since they were born and thankfully, they learned the same hibernation Lapis did and slept through the heavy winter months.

Far from the Lonely Mountain, in an area of Middle Earth called Dunland, the previous dwarves of Erebor settled down to try and make a home. It was ten years after the attack and Thorin was more withdrawn from everyone as days passed by, only a few understood why. Frerin did his best to keep him company, as did Dis, who grew quickly and learned not to ask of her beautiful friend. His mind stayed tortured day and night, filling his thoughts during the day of the Elves turning away and the roaring cries Lapis gave before the quiet. At night, terrors of what happened and could have been left him sweating, sleeping only a few hours. To try and run from his demons in those years, Thorin worked in villages of men, laboring where he could find, but he always remembered the dragon fire as his home fell and the future that turned to ash. As every year passed, Thorin became stronger and more withdrawn and it was in the tenth year on the anniversary of losing their home, did another dwarf befriend the young prince. Balin.

Thorin sat on a rock, looking up at the clear, starlit sky ignoring all that went on around him. Thus the reason he didn't hear another walk up and sit on another boulder adjacent to his. With a sign, Thorin's gaze dropped to his mug of ale and from his peripherals, saw the other dwarf. He had seen the other before, mostly with the advisor to his grandfather, King Thror. From his understanding, the older dwarf was in the process of apprenticeship with what had been the current Advisor to the King, Kade, who had died during Smaug's attack. Now, from Thorin's understanding, he was essentially the new Advisor. After studying the other for a few minutes, Thorin finally spoke.

"Did you wish to ask a question?"

Balin sat with his hands clasped on his lap and turned his head to the prince. "I simply thought you might like some company."

"You were wrong." Blue eyes went up to the sky again, this time to the full moon to imagine a dragon flying in front of it.

"Was I?" Balin shifted slightly to get the same angle at the sky as Thorin. "It appears, to me, that you have none. Other than your brother, who it seems has exhausted his resources to make you happy, the same as your sister."

"I would accuse you of being sent here by them, but they know better than to interrupt my time."

"Presumably because of your shortness that has become your new personality."

Anger spread through Thorin and he stood abruptly, throwing his mug to the ground. "And what do you know of me? We haven't spoken more than ten words to another other than tonight."

"True, but one can gather enough information from watching another." Balin stood also but didn't approach Thorin. "I don't know all the details of what happened to you, but I believe you may have incurred a greater loss than most of us." He turned and left, not looking backwards as he took the path leading back to their camp.

Thorin remained where he stood in shock, watching as Balin disappeared before sitting back down and looking to the sky once more, tears burning his eyes.

After the encounter, Thorin began to actively seek out the slightly older dwarf. Sometimes to watch, or to sit near him, or talk once in a while. Slowly, the two became friends and Thorin was introduced to Balin's younger brother, Dwalin, who was only eight. He had been born in Dunland two years after they fled from Erebor, but at his toddler stage of life, Thorin could already tell Dwalin was a fighter. Slowly, after a couple of years, Thorin began to open up more towards those he loved and knew closely. He was never going to be the same as before, but some of his shields fell and he could hold a conversation with his brother again without yelling at Frerin. His demeanor as a whole was quieter, more mature, but he still held back some of himself, as though he didn't want the pain of losing someone close to him again. Dis, who was now twenty, put herself into training, learning anything and everything she could from whomever was available. Without a home or throne, she helped however she could whether it was hunting or sewing, no task was too menial. One of the soldiers had volunteered his time to train her in weapons and self defense during his free time, with permission from Thorin and Captain Gatik. Little did they suspect what would evolve from their time together.

The years were hard and barely prosperous for the dwarves of Erebor, they survived by the efforts of the few who set aside their lives to ensure the survival of the people. The years of poverty began to take toll on some of their numbers and dwarves began to disappear, although where to was the question. It was a problem Thrain and Thorin saw in their fallen King, Thror. His mind never recovered, even after being away from the gold for so long, Thror continued to become more restless, and in later years more desperate for action. How long he would last before leaving also was a hovering question.

These years were quiet, time passed without event for anyone in Middle Earth. At least, that had gone noticed. Behind walls and mountains, it was another story all together and from what anyone knew, nothing ever happened.

Back at the Lonely Mountain, three adolescent dragons were wreaking havoc upon the gold and the two adult dragons with them. At some point, Lapis had given up and merely sat at a vantage point in case they became to wild and she had to rescue them from Smaug who mostly appeared to be sleeping. She missed however, when Meio squirmed her way under the mountains of treasure that hid Smaug and located his tail. Lapis didn't see the ensuing result, but spotted her daughter as a large red tail flicked from its cover, waving back and forth as trilling filled the air. Jumping from her ledge, Lapis soared to where Meio was clinging to the tail while laughing as a dragon. After another minute, the tail swung around and lifted the child-dragon to a higher spot and Smaug's head appeared, shifting the gold into a landslide that the other two children found amusing.

"Remove yourself from my being."

Lapis waited where she was, hesitant to interfere. She had learned in the past years that Smaug was in charge and there was little she could do against him. Really the only thing she could go against him on was actions involving her children. But he had never shown any malice towards them, only flexing his power now and then to show his dominance over them. She waited and watched as Meio slid from the red and black tail, flapping her small wings to stay in the air.

"Sorry, Uncle Smaug."

The large gold eye blinked at the title and then rolled over to Lapis. "What did you tell your offspring to call me?"

"Nothing, they decided on their own." Lapis had told them not to call him the honorific used by the rest of Middle Earth, dragons didn't really have family and Smaug was of no relation to them. "I'm sorry, I'll make sure they don't call you by it again." The dragon-speech they spoke in was full of hisses, it had taken Lapis some time to realize she was speaking it at all.

"See to it, I am the Great Smaug, I am not a toy for your eggs to play with or on. Understood?"

"Yes."

Lapis waited until his head was buried before swooping in and grabbing Meio with her teeth, feeling her daughter go limp as she sailed to the ground where the other two were playing. Releasing her, Lapis used her tail to collect her children and grab their attention. She had gotten larger in the years as her hatchlings grew, thankfully since she wouldn't be able to do such an action had she stayed the same size.

"Mama, can we go outside? We want to see the stars you talk about." Tarin asked, climbing over Keahi to get closer. Her two siblings gave their pleas after hers and clambered loudly.

Fearing Smaug would wake again, Lapis hushed her loud children. "It isn't safe, there could be others out there."

"We would smell them, Mama. No one would hurt you." Keahi announced and as before, his sister agreed and pleaded.

Lapis looked down fondly at her three babies, they didn't understand that she didn't want to leave for their safety. She didn't know what or who was out there, or if anyone had even stayed after the destruction Smaug had wreaked some years ago. The begging was clear in their eyes. It would do them good however, to get out and play, hopefully tired themselves out. "You will listen to me or it will be another five years until any of you leave the mountain."

A chorus of agreements met her ears and Lapis unwound herself, shaking out her wings before giving flight. "It is nighttime now, we will go outside for a few hours before returning." Three much smaller dragons flapped before her now and Lapis led the way to Thorin's old chambers, the only way out of the mountain now without digging another tunnel.

It took some work, and time over the years, to make the tunnel outside larger and keeping a door hiding the entrance. Something she was thankful for since her children were impatiently bumping into one another, herself, and the walls. Reaching his doors, Lapis had to shift in order to enter, holding doors so her babies could get in. They immediately found the gold and gems she had left there and rolled around the treasure as she made the tunnel ready for them. It took a minute to regain their attention, but eventually followed her into the bath room and into the tunnels where they were instructed to wait while the doorway was cleared and opened.

"Remember what I said, follow what I say and you all will be able to return outside again soon. Ready? Fly straight down the mountain and wait by the river." As a human, she was able to push the door open while her three baby dragons flew by her. Without looking down, Lapis launched herself from the side of the mountain and shifted while falling, landing next to her babies who were wrestling in the tall grass by the river.

Meio danced around as Keahi and Tarin nipped at one another before stopping and glancing up. "Mama, what is that?" The other two stopped at the question and looked to where their sister was gazing.

Lapis stretched out her long neck, taking in a deep breath. "That is a full moon, it is the biggest the moon can be."

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 _The next chapter will have more time jumps. remember, this is more of a fill in the time story. much love._


	4. As Years Passed

_if anyone is tracking the years, we are in 2791 TA at the end of this chapter. also, this chapter is full of what has happened_

 **Ch 4 As Years Passed**

The trip outside went surprisingly well and Lapis told them as long as they continued to behave, they could go out every few days. It was nearing the beginning of winter and the cold was setting in, snow was on the horizon and the need to sleep was starting to creep up on Lapis. Her three hatchlings however, were still going strong. It seemed they had reached their peak for hibernation the past winter and were not going to sleep through the months as before. Seeing the problem, Lapis tried to think of everything she usually did before winter that helped put her to sleep for months. Over eating was the main one, packing herself full of whatever animals were around and then burrowing in a cave, or in the past ten years, treasure.

In one of her discussions with Smaug about food, he revealed that he didn't need to eat all the time, that the gold provided him with what he needed, magically. This was a subject that was intriguing to Lapis since it was another fact that led her to believe she wasn't a full dragon. Otherwise, she wouldn't shift into a woman, sleep during winter, or need to eat more as a human. But between the books and Smaug, there was no answer, other than the other dragon smelt dark magic on her. That winter, ten years after Smaug conquered Erebor, Lapis did not go to sleep for the months as before. It had been difficult, and more than once she had gone hungry to the point of starvation to stay awake. The three dragonlings helped of course, by running rampant and demanding her attention, and Lapis would watch from her nest to make sure they didn't annoy Smaug too much.

The great dragon only offered her simple advice, learn how to draw what was needed from the treasure around them. Nothing more was said, and Lapis had been left staring at his pile he spoke through with frustration. The years climbed forward, the winters became easier to stay awake during after the first year and more so after the third when she learned how to feel the energy coming off the gems and gold. It was after another three years did she realize how large she had grown as a dragon when she shifted and Smaug made an appearance, blowing smoke in her face after she had landed on his pile while teaching her children how to shift midair. Keahi had rammed her side and caused Lapis into a spinning fall that ended her hitting Smaug's mountain. It was when she was looking in his eyes did she notice that their size difference wasn't as great as before.

Thankfully, just over twenty years after the attack, the hatchlings were turning twenty and had outgrown their childlike ways, for the most part, and settled into their personalities. Keahi was brash, like the fire he had learned to shoot last year, protective, and stubborn, essentially, he was a mini version of Thorin in personality and appearance, but different colors. Tarin was stubborn also, but calmer, she stuck more to the ground and watched instead of involving herself now, sharing traits of her mother and father. Meio shared the personality of her siblings, ebbing between wild and calm, but just as stubborn and protective as the other two. Tarin hadn't shown any abilities like Keahi and Meio showed an affinity to water, but neither could cast any elements from their belly. Lapis was unsure of why, how, or maybe it wasn't their time like how she hadn't shown any abilities until she had been attacked in Dale.

Their growth had reached what the people in Dale called a teen, after childhood but before adulthood. As humans, they were around the same height as Lapis but as dragons, they were already much larger than she had been that young. She could only assume it was from being surrounded by gold as Smaug had mentioned it being beneficial to them. Either way, they were still children and Lapis wasn't going to have them blindsided by the world as she had been, not that she had gone far, but having no knowledge of anything outside of what was in her head from whatever or whomever told her things, was not ideal. Not to mention none of her hatchlings had the same experience, thankfully. So now, Lapis was going to start teaching them more. How to read, write, learn whatever was in the library that she could understand. Smaug had already tried to help, telling her babies that everything in Middle Earth was lesser than them.

In the twentieth years of Smaug's attack, discontent was sowing amongst certain dwarves that had settled in Dunland. Thror had finally gotten restless enough and sick of being a cast out, told his son that he was taking a trip to see about finding wealth. No one could sway his mind.

"I am leaving Thrain, and that is final. I'm sick of being poor and desperate, to see those who think they are greater than us spit at our feet. No more! I leave tomorrow with Nár, nothing you can say will change my mind." The old King stood and paced, the lines of stress deepening on his face.

"There is nothing I can do to change your mind?" At the blank stare he received, Thrain sighed and dragged a hand over his face before sitting down. "Do what you will then, if what I think is of no consequence."

Thror hesitated and looked back to his son, though he could see the weariness, his mind was too clouded to think of much else than his plan. He approached the table next to Thrain and set a few items down. "I leave on the morrow, but I leave you this, my Ring passed down from Durin and the map of the Lonely Mountain. Perhaps one day, should I fail, we will see our home again." Without another word, Thror left the shack with his back straight with pride.

After a few minutes, Thrain spoke again. "I know you're in here, come out."

From the shadows stepped Thorin who was hiding behind one of the posts in the back. "How did you know I was here?"

"You always hid when you were younger and I told you to leave, I know how to find you in a room."

Silence fell between them with only the sound of the wind breaking through the haphazard building. Thorin finally broke the din with the question Thrain knew was coming.

"Are you going to let him leave?"

"I haven't much choice. He is still the leader of our people, even if he doesn't want the title anymore."

"That is exactly it, he is supposed to be King but he is running because we have to work now to keep our people fed and housed." It came out in a fierce whisper and anger burned in Thorin's eyes.

Thrain sighed again, feeling as though he had age 100 years in the twenty that had passed. "His mind was not well when we escaped, I'm honestly impressed he survived this long without disappearing in the dark of night. At the very least," he picked up the ring with its red stone and held it up, "He is still in capacity of sound thought enough to leave this behind."

"Sell it, it could bring much needed resources to our people." Thorin was seething, was he the only one who cared about their survival?

The large, scarred hand wrapped around the ring before tucking it into his coat along with the map Thorin hadn't noticed. They would go into the rock safe along with the Key to the secret entry to Erebor. One day they would get their home back, but it wouldn't be now and he had to keep certain items safe until their return. "We cannot sell the Ring, it shows our bloodline and our right to the seat of Durin. Run along now Thorin, I need to attend to some details."

Thorin's anger almost blinded him at the child-like dismissal, as though he hadn't been through the same ventures as his father. He stormed out, slamming the door, leaning into the wild wind that was sweeping down from the mountains. There was one last storm for spring approaching and he had to make sure that his people were attended to before the snow set in soon. Without noticing, Frerin and Balin came to flank either side of him in support and helped him the rest of the day with whatever Thorin deemed important. They had head him shout at Thrain before leaving in a rage, though they didn't know what it was about, both knew all they could do was to be there for him.

For a year, no news was heard from or about Thror and his only companion. Granted, no one really knew where he had gone but for the first part of his journey, Thror had sent communication saying he was alive but nothing else. It was when Nár came stumbling back into camp, covered in grime, did they know something had happened. He was taken by Gatik who saw him first to Thrain's hut and set by the fire to warm up and given food. Thrain, Thorin, Frerin, Gatik, and Balin stood or sat around the dwarf, waiting for whatever news he had about Thror. Finally, after food and drink, Nár spoke.

"I was sent back with a message. Moria was taken over by Orcs, they killed the King." Dead silence filled the hut as everyone was too stunned to say anything and Nár continued. "He was tortured after walking into Moria without me, tossed back out on the steps as trash with the name of an Orc branded onto his face. Azog. It was his voice that called out to me that he was the new ruler and anyone who came in to attempt thievery would meet the same or similar fate. They would let me retrieve his head as prove and threw me a pouch of coins as a fee." The words were spit out, the insulting action was recognized by everyone who was listening. "When I looked back, a few Orcs had come from the gate and were chopping the King into pieces and throwing him to the crows."

There were no words to be said and no one moved. Finally, Balin helped Nár to his feet and led him out, intent on taking care of the dwarf who had delivered terrible news. Gatik left after him, intent to make plans of retaliation to the Orc nation. Thorin and Frerin waited a few more minutes, trying to get a response from Thrain on what they should do now but nothing was said. Soon, they left also and Thrain sat down in the chair facing the fire.

For seven days and nights Thrain sat in silence, not eating or sleeping. After the seventh day, he stood and found Gatik with Thorin, proclaiming to them and all that head that his atrocity wouldn't stand and would be answered. They were going to war.

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 _Thank you everyone for reading, following, and reviewing. please continue to enjoy_


	5. Losses and Gaines

_I received a few suggestions and I will take them into my notes, but some of them I probably will not do. If I work one in, I will post your username as thanks up here in the AN section. please enjoy the chapter._

 **Ch 5 Losses and Gaines**

TA 2793, dwarves from all over Middle Earth had answered Thrain's call to war and were advancing to Moria. The Kings of the other houses saw this as a heinous deed and a great dishonor to the eldest of their race, rising their fury further. For years, the War of the Dwarves and Orcs took place in the mines and tunnels of the old dwarf stronghold. It was a cold winter day when Thorin discovered the disappearance of his brother, Frerin was no where to be found. During the battles, Dwalin and Balin helped his search for Frerin, alive or dead, some sign of the brother that stood beside Thorin through everything. But there was no avail and the dwarven ranks were wearing thin when Thrain called for every dwarf to assemble at the East Gate. This time became known later as the Battle of Azanulbizar, TA 2799, and held the greatest loss of lives. Thrain fell from a wound inflicted by Azog and was saved by Thorin who drove the Orc back, defending his life with a sword and an oaken branch when his shield was lost. With a quick maneuver, Thorin chopped the left arm of the Pale Orc clean off and stood where he had fallen. The leader was being dragged away by a horde of Orcs and Thorin stood straight, waving his sword to the still standing dwarves and the last of the reinforcements from the Iron Hills, shouted a battle cry and every dwarf charged against the last of the Orcs in the final battle

They won, but not without grievous losses. So many bodies covered the mountain terrain, blood soaking into rocks, and Thorin looked around at all the death, his makeshift shield still on his arm. Thrain was laying nearby being attended to while the remaining dwarfs searched the bodies for anyone living. In the end, the amount of bodies were too great to bury and instead the corpses were burned on funeral pyres. With virtually all the Orcs destroyed, Thrain wished to enter Moria and reclaim a home for his people, but there were too dew dwarves left to deal with Durin's Bane that existed in the mines. Without know what it was, there was no other option but for Thrain to lead his people back to Dunland. They remained there for only a couple years, to recuperate and grow strong again before leading the way to the Blue Mountains that laid to the west, where the ocean lay and on the other side of the Shire where Hobbits lived.

In TA 2802, the former dwarves of Erebor reclaimed the forgotten cities of Nogrod and Belegost and set forth to restore the ruined cities to habitable halls for future generations. Years passed and the prosperity of the dwarves grew in their new home as well as their numbers. During this time, Dis was courted by her One, the same guard who had trained her in combat and lived through the final Battle at Moria. By TA 2839, they were married, and the celebration lasted for days. However, Thrain had grown restless in these years as his father had before in Dunland and his desire to reclaim the Lonely Mountain was strong. Gathering a small group of followers that included Balin and Dwalin, something Thorin protested greatly to, and on a calm spring day in 2841, the group began their journey into the Wilderland. Thorin was left as the new ruler of their home and he continued to build, hammers ringing out in the mountains as they had in ancient times.

Grave news came when the group who had left with Thrain arrived five years later without him. Balin and Dwalin who led the troupe afterwards, told Thorin and Dis what they knew. Thrain went missing one morning while they camped on the eaves of Mirkwood after being pursued by servants of Sauron. They had searched for days and weeks in vain, only hearing tidbits of information that related to their pursuit. It had been a year since his disappearance and Thorin had hung his head in anguish, one more member of their family missing without a trace. He still hadn't found any trace of Frerin and was losing hope for the return of his brother. He and Dis comforted each other the best they could before returning to their tasks as head of the Durin Line, all control now falling to Thorin and all the dwarves who lived in the Blue Mountains came to call their new home Thorin's Halls.

It was the same year that Smaug decided to take flight outside his conquered mountain. The great fire breather pushed out the rocks blocking what had been the front gate and took to the sky with great relish. Lapis and her three children watched from the bridge, it was day time and not a when she had ever let them come outside. She looked at them and saw how they were soaking up the sun and internally debated whether to let them fly with Smaug. They were 75 now and fully grown in dwarf standards, although Lapis had a feeling their dragon would continue to grow as she did, since she was almost 200 and had only recently stopped growing, only a fourth size smaller than Smaug. Finally, after watching her babies twitch with excitement, Lapis gave them the go ahead.

All three shrieked in anticipation and ran past her, shifting once they were clear and leaping into the sky. Lapis joined them after a few minutes, noting where Smaug had flown off to in comparison with her children. Keahi was racing higher into the clouds with Meio while Tarin listed lazily beneath them, rolling and diving, Lapis joined in once she was sure there was no danger present. Smaug returned some time later from behind the mountain and landed where the other four dragons were laying on the green grass. The solid beast shook the earth and made the three young dragons hiss at him in discontent. Lapis changed back to human and went to the river where Smaug laid his head.

"Where did you go?"

The giant gold eye blinked at her, "Why is it any concern of yours? I am in charge, you don't ask questions of me."

Lapis frowned, "I was merely curious."

Smaug lifted his head and pushed his snout against her body, his tongue flicking out. "Were you? Or were you worried of what I was doing? Scared I might kill some more dwarves?"

"I would prefer you didn't kill anyone, there are plenty of animals." She took a step back as he kept pushing her and Lapis noticed her children were watching them now.

"True, there are plenty of beasts I could eat, but as a dragon everything is smaller than us and is a beast or animal to be eaten."

"That isn't right…"

"No, that is what you were taught by the dwarf who tried to claim you." Smaug interrupted her and hissed, continuing to crowd her space. "An act that is an affront to our race, not to mention the dark magic I can see weaving around you. Whatever you are, Princess, it will not stand a dwarf in the end."

It wasn't the first time he had called her by that name, starting about twenty years ago, and he never revealed why. "I am a dragon, and I am not full of dark magic."

"Just because you can look like me doesn't mean you are one, and if I say there is darkness in you, there is. This isn't a question halfbreed, dragons are made from magic and you were born from something darker than I have seen for an age. Tell me, does a shadow haunt your mind? Does anyone speak to you in the darkness?"

Lapis froze, falling to the ground on her butt, her children at her back instantly, growling at Smaug who appeared more amused than anything. How would he know such information, she had never told anyone of what had haunted her since her birth. She continued to stare at him in confusion until he resumed speaking.

"We are great creatures, Princess, but even I have a higher master that talks to me."

"Who?"

Smaug retreated slightly, "Wouldn't that be a deal to know? He reveals himself to those in time, when he needs them."

"Did he tell you to attack Erebor?"

A dark chuckle filled the valley. "No, your precious dwarves did that themselves. One cannot expect to harvest the wealth of gold yours did and not expect consequences. The fate of the dwarf you claim to love was brought down by his own, they destroyed their own home and family." Apparently done talking, Smaug returned to the mountain, slithering through the front entrance again.

Lapis sat there stunned, the voice that spoke to her belong to someone alive? A black head nudged her side and Lapis stroked the nose of Tarin, trying to gather her thoughts. Looking up at the setting sun, Lapis didn't know what to do. The entrance to the mountain was open now and they could leave and enter as they wished, without upsetting Smaug. The mountain was her home but after what the other dragon had revealed to her, it seemed confining. She cast her eyes over to Dale, the town in partial ruins after the attack. There were fond memories there also, maybe she could make a new home within the city. She would have to think on it, for all Lapis knew, Smaug would see her or the city destroyed before she left the mountain.

Over the nest few years, the routine with the mountain stayed the same, although Lapis and her children started to sleep for days at a time burrowed in the gold. This was something that pleased Smaug greatly although he never spoke of it, she could see the pleasure in his eyes that her dragon instincts were taking over. It worried her because whatever the other part of her was, it fought against the need to covet the treasure her children still enjoyed playing in. During the year 2850, Smaug took flight again and disappeared for the entire day. Lapis took the opportunity to moved all of her treasure she had scented from the caves and Thorin's rooms to a great hall in the heart of Dale. The building was fully intact and had bedrooms and underground caves. She had no idea what it was used as before, but it was to be their new home. When Smaug returned, Lapis met him in dragon form at the Entrance of the mountain. He eyed her while his tongue cleaned the blood of whatever animal coated his scales.

"I am leaving to create a nest of my own with my hatchlings." Her head was bowed, in case Smaug grew angry.

Instead, the crimson dragon sat on its haunches and stared at her. "Intriguing, and if I were to say you aren't to leave, what would you do?"

"It is my life and my family, I will leave if I want." The words were hissed vehemently.

Smaug clawed wing grabbed Lapis's long neck and pinned her to the ground, teeth snapping at her. "I will say if you are to leave or not, you belong to me as a pack."

Lapis froze and tried to understand his logic. She had seen what he spoke of with animals such as wolves, with a leader, second in command, the pack and then the weakest. "I belong to no one!"

"No one but the dwarf you always speak of to your little bastards." The color of fire glowed in his chest as he spoke. "Those creatures are so far beneath us you insult all dragons by baring his children."

"And yet, they are dragons also that you helped raise." Lapis tried to move under the tight grasp. "If you despised them so much, why would you off me help?"

"There has never been a female dragon, you are crucial to our race. I don't need our master to tell me this."

That was it, something or someone else wanted her to stay close. But whatever it was, was greater than her own mind could comprehend. "We are going to live in Dale, I want my own nest. What do I have to do for you to let me go?"

Smaug loosened his claw and let Lapis up. "What do I want? Do you realize what it is to barter with a dragon?"

"I want to leave and to keep my children alive, what do you want in order for this to happen?" No, she didn't know, but Lapis could guess it meant to be in the debt of Smaug until she fulfilled her half.

"Very well, Princess. You can go live in the town infested with the dead bodies of men, but you have to teach me the magic you have to change into a human."

Lapis was stunned into silence. There was no way she would be able to perform such a task, she had no idea what gave her the ability to become a human. For all they knew, it was a piece of magic given only to her. She was going to be forever in his favor unless she figured this out and Smaug knew exactly what he had asked.

"Deal."

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 _Again, if anyone reading has an idea or suggestion that they would like to see, feel free to send me a message. I love reviews, please leave whatever strikes you while reading. I appreciate all reviews._


	6. Life and Death

_Thank you everyone for reading. Please continue to support this story as I enjoy writing it. One day i'll return to my other ones._

 **Ch 6 Life and Death**

Thorin's Halls continued to grow in wealth and numbers, not to the numbers of the other dwarf kingdoms, but a far cry from where they had been in Dunland. In 2858, Dis announced her first pregnancy to everyone during dinner towards the end of the winter season. Orli, her husband, swung her around at the news and they disappeared for the next day. Thorin had watched them leave with sorrow in his eyes, remembering his One and the child he had lost. But with his sister, their family would grow again. To celebrate, Dwalin all but kidnapped the Prince and brought him to the mead room, where they could drink alone and in private. When they were a half a barrel down, Thorin stopped and stared down in his mug. Dwalin noticed the change in his demeanor and waited patiently for him to speak.

"You would consider yourself my friend?"

Dwalin braced his forearms on his knees, his own mug clasped in both hands. "Ye know I do, Thorin. Why ask?"

"Did you know I met my One?" Thorin didn't look up nor wait for an answer. "She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen, pale skin with midnight blue hair, eyes that shone like gold in firelight. I almost died the first time I met her, she saved me." Dwalin said nothing so he would continue. "Frerin was the first to meet her, by accident, but he loved her like a sister immediately. He helped us so much, making sure we could be together when no one knew of our relationship. It is a deep regret I couldn't save him to give him the same opportunity." Thorin fell into silence for a few minutes, turning the mug in his hands. "They schemed behind me to introduce her to my father so I would be properly surprised, which I was, and angry. We were separated briefly and I almost lost her when my grandfather tried to throw her over the walkway, accusing her of being a thief and after his Arkenstone. I almost lost her, and our baby then."

Dwalin couldn't hold back at that announcement, "She carries the Heir of Durin?" Stunned didn't seem a strong enough word for what the burly warrior was feeling.

"She did. My Lapis, my One. When Smaug attacked, she attacked him, and so many of my people saw her." When Dwalin made to speak again, Thorin cut him off. "She was a dragon and could shift into a human. My father saw her change as he was escaping, I was outside trying to evacuate everyone. When Frerin appeared without her, my heart stopped, she had been with him when Smaug descended. Roars and cries were heard from inside the mountain and I recognized a pained scream as hers before my father came running out. He knew and saw, whether he realized I did as well I will never know. But he told me she was dead and we could never have been together or Ones to begin with, for dwarves can only be soulmates with another dwarf." The last part was spat out in anger before tears began to fall from Thorin's eyes. "She didn't come out, there were no more sounds from inside the mountain other than the cries of our people running away. My One and my baby died, Dwalin. Before I had a chance to live, my future was torn away from me."

Dwalin sat dumbfounded by the information given to him. From the corner of his eye, he spotted his brother Balin listening through the crack in the door. He hadn't shut it all the way since this room was far from the main halls, but Dwalin had the feeling his brother already knew part of this story. He watched as Thorin cried for the first time since his home fell, grieving at the loss of the family that would've been. The fact that his One was a dragon, Dwalin didn't know what to do with that information. His whole life was born knowing dragons were gold seeking beasts with no concern for life other than their own. He needed time to think about this information, but for now, he clapped a hand on Thorin's shoulder in comfort and sat with him. That night, Dwalin and Thorin swore an oath and the two bonded as Shield Brothers, to stand by each other through whatever life threw at them.

In 2859, on a beautiful summer day, Dis gave birth to a son, Fili. His birth was greatly celebrated as he was now the heir to the Durin Legacy. When Fili was placed in Thorin's arms, he brushed a calloused hand over the blond hair with a laugh. There hasn't been a fair-haired Durin to his knowledge and made Thorin proclaim that his nephew was destined for great things. For the next few years, Thorin made time for his nephew every day, even if it was for only a few minutes, and put Balin in charge of his education. Captain Gatik had died in the Battle and thus Thorin appointed the duty to train Fili in combat to Dwalin. Dis laughed when her brother was ordering everyone around stating her son was barely walking and already have a full schedule for his future, Mahal forbid what Thorin would do to her next child. Her statement made everyone in the room pause and look at her in question. She was pregnant again.

This celebration was greater than the previous, although Fili had been first born, giving birth to more than one child in the dwarf race was cause to rejoice. By spring of 2864, Dis was giving birth again to another son. Every dwarf in the Halls laid down their tools and drank to the new prince. He was given the name Kili, a twin like name for how close together in years they were born. Thorin held his second nephew in one arm while Fili sat in the other and examined his features. The soft brown hair was unusual and he showed no signs of other dwarf traits, Dis waved off his worries saying he would grow into them. Thorin nodded and sat holding his nephews until it was time for him to return to his duties. A week after the birth, he pulled Dwalin aside.

"Take me to whomever inked your tattoos."

Dwalin raised a brow at his friend. "If ye donna mind me askin', why?"

"I wish to have my One with me over my heart." Thorin answered quietly.

The gruff dwarf crossed his arms and looked thoughtfully at the Prince. "Now?"

"Yes."

The insistence was clear and Dwalin took Thorin to an older dwarf, Pillan, and formally introduced the two to each other. Thorin sat on the bench opposite Pillan and explained to him of the tattoo he wanted. The grisly inker sat still with his hands twisted together, his eyes darting from Thorin to Dwalin before nodding slowly.

"I remember her, she steered the fire breather away from my family, so we could escape. She was lovely."

Dwalin sucked in a breath and waited for Thorin's reaction. Instead of anger or grief, he looked relieved and a hint of a smile was on his face.

"That she was."

There were no more words exchanged between the two and Thorin laid back on the bench and prepared himself for an afternoon of pain. The finish product took a few weeks, needing time to heal before other colors could be tapped in before continuing. When it was done, Thorin proudly stood before Dwalin, Balin, and Pillan with a white and dark blue dragon with a gold stomach curled up over his heart. No one would ever see it unless they bathed with him or Thorin became injured, not a close foreseeable future for him.

Back in Dale and Erebor, Lapis and Smaug met up once a week, either in the mountain or outside, to try and conquer her task of training him to shift human. But so far there had been no avail and the great dragon was losing his temper with the passing years. It wasn't that Lapis was trying to be difficult, as Smaug often accused her of, but that she didn't know how to train him how to shift since it came naturally to her. Lapis was able to sense magic as Smaug did after spending time with him trying to find the source of her gift. With new eyes, she could see the wisps of gray and black that surrounded Smaug and learned that was the dark magic he could see around her, but in greater quantities. When Lapis studied her children with the same eyes, she saw no dark magic in them as humans but as dragons, the was the barest trace that hover at their back. It was a curious thing and Smaug wouldn't tell her anything until she accomplished her task.

Come 2880, Smaug flew outside for the last time and curled up in his gold one last time. No matter how many visits Lapis took or how far she entered the mountain, climbing over the treasure, he didn't wake up. She was left baffled at his behavior and had no idea what to do with her tremulous freedom. On one hand, she didn't have to continue her failing lessons with him while he slept and could leave this side of Middle Earth if she wished. On the other, if he woke soon and found her missing, Smaug would most likely destroy all that was in her path to find her. It wasn't like they didn't have a decent life here, but Lapis wanted to see more of the world she had read about in the books she taught to her children. Maybe a short trip wouldn't hurt anyone, but they would wait a while to be sure Smaug slumbered deeply. In the meantime, Lapis would accustom herself and her children to wearing clothes to allow them to walk amongst regular cities of Men without raising alarm.

More than a year passed and there was no movement from Smaug, not even a shift in the gold to give way to his position. Wearily, Lapis made plans for them to fly at night and sleep a portion of the day away in a shelter. A map had been dug out of what had been the library her and Thorin had visited often and showed her children where they were going to stop first, a blot by the Anduin River named Carrock. As the sun began to set, Lapis packed individual sacks for each of them with the best plain clothes she could find that fit them, with coins and jewelry, for them to carry while they flew. Her excited offspring danced around in their dragon forms, making quite the scene, until Lapis called them to order and they presented themselves to her. She tied a bag around each of their large ankles to ensure they wouldn't lose their possessions before shifting and wrangling her own around her foot.

"Follow me and do not wander, understood?" Her eyes burned into each of her children as they nodded their large heads in agreement.

Lapis launched herself into the summer night sky, hearing the three do the same with growls of delight. She turned and directed them to the forest that was labeled as a home to Elves and locked her eyes on the mountains in the middle. That was a resting point before continuing to the Carrock by morning light. Hopefully, nothing would try and harm them along the way.

* * *

 _ **Memo** , my guest reviewer, if you made it this far, welcome to our world._


	7. Beorn

_I made a mistake chapter 1 and it's fixed, literally one word. It was Pearls she was crying not Opals, I was trying to remember how to spell opalescent while writing and that happened. Anywho, this book wont be long, no more than 10 chapters. This is only an in between book and there will be a time jump probably into the next book, no point in writing all of their quest when she wont be in it._

 **Ch 7 Beorn**

Thankfully, their flight went off without a hitch and they were flying over a large expanse of field when Keahi dropped below Lapis slightly. He had spotted some animals and with his stomach growling, it seemed like a good time as any to eat. Gliding lower, Keahi zoned in on some fluffy animals roaming around a building and stealthily crept up to them. Above, Tarin called out his absence and Lapis dove immediately to where her son was and saw a large shadow running at him from the trees on the other side of the fields. With a bellowed cry, Lapis placed herself between her son and the quick advancing creature. It slammed into her belly with considerable strength, making her sway before she started a retaliation attack. Meio and Tarin landed beside Keahi and watched as their mother kept whatever animal from getting to them, not that they couldn't defend themselves, they were much larger. But in their life, this was the first time they had been attack outside of Smaug harassing them.

Finally, Lapis managed to throw the beast far from them and roared for her children to be airborne as the sun crested over the trees and shone down on the house surrounded by animals. She could see it a lot clearer from the height she was at and not fending it off, it was a bear. A very large bear if her book studies held the right information. It gave a ringing roar before it shifted, hair receding mostly and took the shape of a man.

"You will leave my land now or be killed."

Lapis was stunned, she hadn't known shifters existed other than her own. "Stay here." The order was direct at her children hovering in the air next to her and Lapis descended, shifting into a human and landing on her feet far from the man. "You can take the shape of a Bear." It wasn't a question exactly and not quite a statement. She could see the taken back expression on his face at the sight of her in her human form.

"And you a dragon. What are you doing on my land, trying to eat my sheep?"

"I apologize, my son is young and impulsive. And apparently hungry." Lapis was a little annoyed but more relieve the man-bear seemed to have backed down a bit.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Lapis, I come from the other side of the forest. What is your name?"

Eyes squinted at her before answering, "Beorn."

"Beorn. You guard over what is yours with intent and devotion, I can appreciate the sentiments. But if can you let us pass, we will find somewhere far from your land to stay."

He looked to the sky at the sun had risen fully and then to the three other dragons flapping their wings to stay in the sky. "If what I understand is true of your kind, no one will take kindly to one or many dragons flying near their home. You will tell me your story and I will decide what to do afterwards. Tell your children to come down, I will not harm them as long as they do not try and eat my friends." Beorn looked her over, "Dress if you wish, it doesn't bother me."

Lapis looked down at herself and then behind her where the pack had fallen when she shifted. Her children would be relieved to not have to wear the restrictive clothing as she was, and it made it easier to shift when needed. One by one, they dropped and shifted before Beorn. They were all taller than Lapis, although she didn't know how, Thorin wasn't much taller than herself. Keahi was the tallest, closer to the height of a man, broad and well-muscled with his brilliant red hair unbound down his back, trails of gold scales the color of his eyes traced his tanned skin. Tarin was a few inches shorter than him and voluptuous, her body also muscled and hourglass shaped, her black hair thick and fell to her knees bound in a braid, gold scales swirled over her neck, shoulders, and belly. Meio was the same height as her sister but more lithe, slender and moved fluidly like the water her eyes had copied and hair that was still the same sky blue as when she was born, falling around her body like a curtain with tiny braids randomly placed, the scales on her skin trailed down her back, over her hips and down the front of her legs in shimmering white. None of them trying to hide how naked they were.

"They are a good deal larger than yourself."

"And they continue to grow all the time."

"Such is the way of a child, the grow and leave us behind." The sorrow was evident in the man's voice but Lapis didn't comment on it. "Come inside, and don't touch my animals." The last part was directed at the only male in the group who was looking longingly at the sheep he had almost captured.

Lapis tugged on her son's arm, not wanting to fight the bear again, and led the way into the large hall. Many of the animals crowded in with them, sheep, dogs, ducks, a horse, and so on, it was going to be hard to keep an eye on her children and tell their story. Thankfully, as she sat at the large table with Beorn and ate some of the honey bread while regaling their host on a brief history of her life and then her children, they mostly behaved. Nothing that anger the giant man, just Keahi and Meio messing with each other as they often did when bored. Tarin on the other hand, sat near her mother on the floor and played with several of the animals demanding her attention. Beorn had noticed this and took turns watching Lapis and Tarin while listening to the tale.

"You have led a fantastic and exciting life, one I cannot imagine was easy. While I don't know all of what you spoke of is true, I see no deceit in your eyes. You may stay for a few days if you would like, however if you need to hunt, you are to go far from here."

Lapis agreed and stood, "Thank you for your kindness. We will leave in a day or two, I wish for my children to learn that not all animals are food."

Beorn gave a raspy laugh, "That would be a sight to live for, a dragon respecting other creatures. I wish you luck. Should you need me, I'll be around the side of the hall completing chores for today."

She watched him leave and turned to see Keahi staring at another sheep in hunger. "Does anyone else need to eat meat?" Only Meio answered and she was more of a fish eater, making her hunt easier than Keahi's. "Come along then, Tarin, we will return shortly. Are you sure you aren't hungry?"

Tarin shook her head, "I can eat the Bear's food just fine."

Eyeing her middle child briefly, Lapis shooed the other two outside and lead them on a hunt to the north where there was a river and trees according to her map. Tarin watched as her family disappeared before peeking around the corner where she heard noises from and spied Beorn digging up food from the ground. "What are you doing?"

Beorn peered over his shoulder and spotted the girl-dragon leaning around the corner of his home, all his animal friends roaming around her, something that seemed to him very unusual. "Pulling vegetables that are ripe."

"Why not wait until you are hungry?"

"Because they will rot in the ground after so long, I can cook or prepare them to last longer if I take them out now." He turned away and continued to unearth his garden for certain vegetables.

Tarin watched him in interest, not having seen this act or what the fenced in area full of fresh fruits and vegetables was called. "Did you put all of them in there?"

"It is called a garden or field, and yes I did. It took a long time and a good deal of effort to have it flourish." Beorn stood and walked over to where Tarin was now looking curiously over the fence. He picked out a carrot he was going to give one of the horses but instead held it out to Tarin. "Would you like some? You didn't leave with your family to hunt."

"I can eat more plants than animals and be just as full, I am different from my siblings." Tarin murmured, turning the large carrot over in her hands. "What is this?"

A smile pulled at Beorn's stern face, "It is a carrot. It can be cooked many ways and eaten raw, would you like to try it?"

Her eyebrows puckered and mouth pinched in thought, "Does it taste good?"

"I believe they are delicious."

"Then I will try it…"Tarin rolled it between her hands preparing to take a bite when a large hand covered both of hers.

"I will wash it first, dirt doesn't taste as good as the food." He led her back inside and washed the vegetable off before handing it back over.

For the time while her mother and siblings were gone, Tarin tried many of the foods in Beorn's home and found almost all of them to her liking and none of it was meat. It was a curiosity that she had never seen, not that she had met anyone else. But even the dwarves and men her mother spoke of ate meat at all of their meals. When they finally returned, it was midday and Tarin had already fallen asleep, an example the other three followed and curled up together around Tarin in the large piles of hay.

They didn't leave for another to days, Lapis noticed the connection between Tarin and Beorn and watched them curiously. When she had met Thorin, he had been instantly aware she was his other half, something that took her time to understand. Tarin was probably the same way if not Beorn also. Her children had turned 110 that year, only a few years younger than Lapis had been when she met Thorin. It was by talking to Beorn that Lapis decided not to have her children meet regular Men yet, since they could barely conceal their dragon traits around Beorn and his animals. Tarin being the best behaved of the bunch although Lapis had her suspicions about her.

With the promise they would visit again, Lapis led them home with no protest that they hadn't seen a city or town of Men. In the excitement of meeting Beorn and learning new things from the other shifter, none of them thought anything of it. In fact, all of them were so entranced with how Beorn lived, Lapis made it a regular trip for them. Now every month during the new moon, when there was less chance of them being seen, they spent a few days to a week with their new friend. Beorn regaled them on stories of his youth, his imprisonment, and his people and in return the four dragons gave up their own personal stories. Lapis could tell there was something Beorn was holding back and she had a suspicion it was a family he used to have before being captured and tortured by Orcs.

During every visit, she also took notice the closeness of Beorn and Tarin. There was something more than friendship, but Lapis knew well enough to let this happen on its own. It pleased her that one of her children had found their other half and hoped that her other two would as well so they could feel the same happiness she had felt in her brief time with Thorin. During a visit in the fall of 2910 that Beorn told them a story of an army of dwarves that had come through many years ago and fought for one of their kingdoms in the Misty Mountains. Lapis listened intently to his tale that was mostly second hand from any surviving dwarves.

"It was said that the Orcs who took over the kingdoms murdered the King and incensed the dwarves into a war led by his son. While the dwarves won, not many were left from their original numbers, hundreds out of thousands walked away."

"Do you know any names of those that survived?" Lapis asked eagerly, hoping maybe Frerin was alive at least.

"A dwarf called Dain said there was great loss in the family of Durin, but I was given no names. Apparently, a prince disappeared and was never recovered."

Lapis wilted quickly, that would be Frerin. He never appeared to be a fighter, although he always defended others as though his life depended on it. If there was any luck, Dis was the only one alive from the family and that thought broke Lapis's heart. Beorn could see the turmoil on her face and took a guess as to why.

"You had hoped their father was still alive?"

"I had hoped someone in the family would be, but by the way you are talking, only one if she stayed alive all these years."

"They burned the bodies of their dead," Beorn pointed towards the horizon where the Misty Mountain could be seen. "Pillars of smoke climbed to the sky as though in mourning."

Lapis gave a sad smile, "I know the feeling."


	8. A Mess of Meetings

**Ch 8 A Mess of Meetings**

Thorin woke up and lifted his head from where it had fallen on a stack of parchment atop his desk. The scent of flowers tickled his nose and he looked around to try and find the source. A knock came at his door again, the reason he was awake, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Come in."

Balin entered the study, shuffling papers as he walked and not looking at Thorin. "Afternoon, I have some reports I think you need to see…" His voice trailed off as he looked up and stared at Thorin.

"What is it?" Thorin ran a hand down his beard as his nose tickled again. Where was that smell coming from?

"Um, your hair is…different."

Both hands flew to his hair and felt the silky petal of flowers and his hair in different braids than normal. "Fili, Kili, those two are going to be the death of me."

"I highly doubt flowers will kill you, Thorin. Unless they tried to eat you." Balin had a glimmer in his eye, amused that the two young dwarfs had accomplished such a prank with their Uncle sleeping. He watched as Thorin unraveled the braids and shook his hair free of flowers. "They are just having fun, perhaps trying to goad you into the same state of mind."

"Yes, well that's all fine and wonderful. But why flowers?" Thorin set to fixing his hair again back to the normal braids he wore now. He frowned at the silver streaks he spotted, wondering when he had gotten so old.

"Today is the anniversary, I'm sure they did something to cheer their mother up as well." Balin set the papers down and looked intently at Thorin.

He knew what his friend spoke of and sat back down with a sigh. Five years ago, Orli had left with an legion of dwarves to help the hobbits during the Fell Winter of 2911-2912, when wolves invaded the Shire. Unfortunately, the brave soldier lost his life defending a home from a pack of wolves before help could arrive. The family of hobbits had beaten back the rest of the pack but Orli had already bled out. Dis had been devastated to say the least and the boys clung to each other more than before. They had been 53 and 48 respectively when their father had died, barely past the age of young adults for dwarves. Every year since then, Fili and Kili would wreak havoc the week of his death and play pranks on any unsuspecting dwarf. Thorin picked up a partially crushed flower and twirled it between his fingers.

"I assume the flowers have bloomed earlier this year?"

"Yes, we haven't had snow in a while. I assume they infiltrated some traders cart for those."

That brought a smile to Thorin's face, he wouldn't be surprised. In some ways, they reminded him a lot of Frerin in their playfulness, something they shared a bit with Dis and Orli. With a sign, he swept the petals from his desk and look expectantly at Balin. "What did you have to tell me?"

Balin nudged the papers over, "There is a report in there that your father has been spotted near the Wilds of Dunland."

"What?" Thorin stood quickly and knocked his chair over. It had been months since anyone had sent word of his missing father. Perhaps this one was it. "I must go check."

"Thorin, send out some men to find him, we need you here."

"Nothing will happen to me Balin, there is no need to worry." He snatched up the report on his father and rushed out of the room, leaving Balin behind him heaving a sigh.

Not six months later, Thorin entered the Prancing Pony, shaking the rain off his back and sitting down at an open table. A waitress places a mug and plate of food in front of him, running off before Thorin could tank her fully. Set his pipe to rights, he tore into a loaf of bread, enjoy the warm food for only a minute before sensing something was amiss. Glancing left and right, Thorin spotted some men watch him intently and nonverbally communicating with each other. As his hand wrapped around the handle of his sword, a tall figure appeared before him, giving him a start and almost pulling his sword.

"Mind if I join you?"

Thorin watched as the men backed off and the old man in front of him grab the sleeve of the waitress, asking for the same fare of food.

"I should introduce myself. My name is Gandalf. Gandalf the Grey."

Thorin gave him a stern look, "I know who you are."

Gandalf didn't appear ruffled at the short answer and continued. "Well now! This is a fine chance. What brings Thorin Oakenshield to Bree?"

"I received word that my father had been seen wandering the Wilds near Dunland. I went looking, and found no sign of him." Thorin bowed his head slightly, tearing the bread apart.

"Thorin, it's been a long time since anything but rumor was heard of Thrain."

"He still lives; I am sure of it." Thorin quieted and Gandalf looked up as the waitress set his platter of food in front of him. "My father came to see you before he went missing. What did you say to him?"

Gandalf brought his pipe up to his lips, contemplating before answering. "I urged him to march upon Erebor; to rally the seven armies of the dwarves, to destroy the dragon and take back the Lonely Mountain. And I would say the same to you. Take back your homeland." He leaned in at the end of his speech.

Thorin picked up his mug and drank, contemplative. "This is no chance meeting, is it, Gandalf?"

"No, it is not." Gandalf answered in a low voice. "The Lonely Mountain troubles me, Thorin. That dragon has sat there long enough. Sooner or later, darker minds will turn toward Erebor. I ran into some unsavory characters whilst traveling along the Greenway. They mistook me for a vagabond." The amusement was more than evident in the wizard's voice, an emotion Thorin shared briefly.

"I imagine they regretted that."

"One of them was carrying a message." He laid a dirty piece of cloth with a message and a picture of the Lonely Mountain drawn on it on the table and pushed it toward Thorin. "It is Black Speech." Thorin, who had been reaching forward to take the message, warily pulled his hand away. "Promise of payment."

Thorin looked at the missive in disgust in worry, "For what?"

"Your head. Someone wants you dead. Thorin, you can wait no longer. You are the heir to the throne of Durin. Unite the armies of the dwarves. Together you have the might and power to retake Erebor. Summon a meeting of the seven dwarf families, demand they stand by their oaths." Gandalf leaned in closer as he spoke.

"The seven armies swore that oath to the one who wields the King's Jewel, the Arkenstone! It is the only thing that will unite them, and in case you have forgotten, that jewel was stolen by Smaug." Thorin sat back in his seat as the two shady men from before rose and left together, looking back over their shoulders at Thorin and Gandalf who watched them in return.

"What if I were to help you to reclaim it?"

Bewildered, Thorin decided to play along. "How? The Arkenstone lies half a world away, buried beneath the feet of a fire-breathing dragon."

Gandalf paused, "Yes, it does, which is why we are going to need a burglar."

The year was 2918 when Thorin returned home to the Blue Mountains. He was greeted with happiness and relief that he hadn't disappeared as his father before him. For the next few days, he stowed away in his study with Balin and Dwalin, meeting about gathering the dwarf armies to meet about the Lonely Mountain. The letters were sent out in 2920 and came back the same year, all saying the same thing, no one wanted to march against a mountain with a fire breathing dragon guarding its hoard. But Thorin didn't give up, every year around the anniversary of Smaug's attack he would resend the letters. Finally, in 2939, the Dwarf Kingdoms agreed to meet in Ered Luin for a meeting in eighteen months. While it was still a fair amount of time away, Thorin was overjoyed to see the signatures agreeing to show. In those months however, Fili and Kili decided to make their presence know as full grown dwarfs who would march with their Uncle to take back their homeland they had never seen.

Dis had been displeased upon hearing this and gave chase to her sons who thought they were old enough to go to war with a dragon. Thorin gave notice to those in his halls, anyone who came with him would receive a share of the treasure within the mountain. To his disappointment, there were few who gave definitive answers. Most were happy here in the Blue Mountains and didn't see the need to take back an occupied mountain that would most likely kill them and others were waiting to see the outcome of the meeting. Therefore, Thorin could do nothing but wait.

A year before the meeting, Lapis was in Beorn's fields watching the horses run and play when pain struck her head and fell unconscious. Behind closed eyes, Lapis saw fire and shadow running together to form a blurry man who walked forward, extending his hand to her.

" _My beautiful creature, it is time to take your place in history._ "

A series of scenes assaulted her mind, dwarves being slain, a city on fire, a white beast of a being with a missing arm shouting orders, and the ground around the mountain caving in as Smaug took flight. She had no idea what was happening and thrashed on the ground, unaware the horses had gone to find Beorn. When the bear of a man arrived, he made to pick her up and was faced with a dragon in her place a second later. Her eyes snapped open and instead of the regular gold color, they flashed black, then red, before returning to normal. Beorn took a step back when her jaw unhinged and a roar-like sound came from her belly. Before he could shift himself, Keahi in dragon form came barreling at his mother and knocked her to the ground where they wrestled, fire and ice destroying the plains around them as Meio jumped into the fray to help pin their mother down. Tarin came up to Beorn's side and waited, watching her siblings gain control.

"What is happening to your mother?"

Tarin paused, not wanting to lie to Beorn but neither to tell what her mother's secret was without permission. "Some time ago, we heard Smaug give her information that wasn't well received and also exposing a secret she kept from us. Dragons are created from magic and the person was involved can talk to dragons through their minds. Our mother is being accosted by the person now, I believe."

"This has happened in front of you before?"

"No, but she gave us permission, warning signs, and training in case she ever attacked. She is a kind dragon, protective, she has never hurt anyone or thing except the animals she hunted in the wild." Tarin looked up at Beorn, "Please don't think less of her for something she can't control."

He watched the scene gravely as Keahi had his mother by the neck and Meio biting down on her belly. It was something he had seen with animals, while Lapis was in charge, she wasn't an alpha. Finally, she passed out and her children climb off her, backing away before shifting back to human.

"If you would like us to leave, I understand." Meio offered up quietly.

Beorn was stuck on a decision. It was dangerous for her to stay if she woke in the same state, her children being the only ones who could take her down. But if she didn't… Beorn sighed. "We will see when she wakes. Can you stay with her, I don't want her near the Hall if she awakens with the same need to destroy." He asked looking at Keahi.

"I would have without being asked."

Beorn nodded and looked around at his land. The fires had been extinguished but the ground would be marred with the signs of the short struggle that had happened. Tarin and Meio accompanied him back to the Hall while Keahi sat near his mother and watched her.


	9. Once a Quest

_Okay people, large portion of this chapter is them at Bilbo's house that I have shortened. but there is a key component at the end that was in the previous book._

 **Ch 9 Once a Quest**

When Lapis woke that day, she had no memory of what happened. The only thing that had changed about her was the new scars given by her children to subdue her. Ashamed, Lapis spoke to Beorn with her head lowered and said she would leave immediately and never return if her children could still visit. After a few moments of contemplative silence, Beorn dropped a heavy hand atop her head and sighed, stating he would never exile her. And Keahi reassured he would leave her alone if it happened again, they would always be there just in case it happened again. With tears in her eyes, Lapis turned away and grew wings only to fly to the roof to be alone. Her children looked after her bewildered, none of them had ever done that and spent the next few days attaining the new skill and flying the skies as half dragons. They stay a little longer this time at Beorn's home, at the quiet giant's persistence. When they returned to Dale, Lapis went straight to the mountain and flew in quietly.

She landed on one of the upper balconies that overlooked Smaug's nesting area and watched the pile for hours while contemplating the experience she couldn't remember. There was an incessant feeling clawing at her that soon, whoever spoke to her, was coming to find her. Whether in person or by someone else, she was going to be found and in turn, her children. Leaving her perch just as silently, she shifted so she was in human form with wings and talons for hands, weaving her way through halls, tunnels, and down the mine shaft where her original nest was hidden. Her eyes adjusted quickly and Lapis maneuvered the tunnels until she came to the cave where she was born. There wasn't much left here, having taken all her gems and gifts from Thorin to Dale years ago, however there were still fragments of the shell she was born from on the cave floor. Opening her eyes to the magic, Lapis saw the same darkness that surrounded Smaug coating the pieces. Even though it was pitch black, she could see the mist was as dark as Smaug's.

The next year came and went, Lapis saw no more visions and Smaug still hadn't awaken. Thorin was getting ready for the meeting of all heads of the dwarf kingdoms to meet. Gandalf had already started his venture, roaming around the shire until he came upon a certain hobbit he had met years ago as a child. Bilbo Baggins. This was to be his burglar, not that anyone else knew of him yet, but Gandalf held the utmost faith in the little hobbit. After meeting the halfling and place a mark on the door, he sent work to Thorin and his company of the mark placed on the round green door where they would gather and eat before starting their quest. Fili and Kili wrangled their way into the company, with many fights between them, their mother, and Uncle about them being too young to fight in the quest. Something they took very personally since they had never seen the home of their ancestors.

Unbeknownst to Bilbo, he was in for a very rude visit from a lot of dwarves who thought they were invited. As he sat down to eat, a knock echoed in his home. In mid-squeeze of a lemon, Bilbo peered in the direction of the front door before removing the dinner napkin and making his way through the halls and opening his grass green door. Before him stood a well-armed dwarf with a balding head and tattoos decorating most of his skin.

"Um…"

The dwarf bowed slightly, "Dwalin, at your service."

Shellshocked, Bilbo let out a noise like a whimper. Coming to his senses, he quickly tied his robe tighter and stood taller, although still confused. "Bilbo Baggins, at yours." He stood to the side as Dwalin walked inside without an invitation. "D-do we know each other?"

"No." Dwalin looked down at the small halfling almost shaking in the doorway, making him question the wizard internally. "Which way, laddie? Is it down here?"

"I-is what down where?"

Dwalin dumped some of his stuff on the ground and thrust the rest onto Bilbo. "Supper. He said there'd be food, and lots of it."

"H-He said?" Bilbo shook his head, still holding onto an assortment of weapons and furs. "Who said?" but there was no answer as the dwarf discovered his kitchen and sat at the table. Bilbo looked on in disgust as Dwalin ate his perfectly prepared dinner, mourning the loss of food.

"Mmmm. … Very good, this. Any more?"

"What? Uh, oh, yes, yes, help yourself." Bilbo brought over a plate of biscuits; hurriedly hiding one behind his back for himselfas Dwalin began stuffing them in his mouth. "Mmmm. It's just that, um, I wasn't expecting company."

Another knock sounded in Bag End and Dwalin glanced up at Bilbo. "That'll be the door."

Opening the door, Bilbo found an older, white-haired dwarf waiting and bowing upon seeing the hobbit.

"Balin, at your service."

"Good evening."

"Yes, yes it is," Balin looked to the sky before returning his gaze to Bilbo and stepping through the threshold. "Though I think it might rain later. Am I late?"

Bilbo's confusion only grew. "Late for what?"

Balin spotted Dwalin, who was trying to get more biscuits from Bilbo's jar. "Oh, ha ha! Evening, brother."

The jar was set back onto the shelf and Dwalin greeted his brother halfway. "Oh, by my beard, you are shorter and wider than last we met.'

"Wider, not shorter. Sharp enough for both of us." Balin winked at the inside joke and they laughed, greeting each other amicably. Putting their arms on each other's shoulders, they smash their foreheads together.

Together, the brothers find their way to the pantry and begin sorting through the food, wine, and ale, commenting on the strange foods while Bilbo stood in the background try to explain he wasn't expecting anyone tonight, no matter how much a hobbit enjoyed guests, they would have to leave and he was sorry. Together, the dwarves turned and accepted his apology before Balin handed a tankard to Dwalin so that it can be filled with ale. In the background, the door was being intruded on again. Bilbo opened it to find two young dwarves and upon seeing them, Bilbo maked a small noise which sounded like a whimpered moan.

"Fili." Said the blond looking at him strangely

"And Kili." Added the other with a large grin.

"At your service." This was spoken together and Bilbo just looked at them.

Kili offered to speak first, "You must be Mr. Boggins."

"Nope, you can't come in, you've come to the wrong house." Bilbo tried to close the door, but Kili stopped it with his foot.

"What? Has it been cancelled?"

Fili looked at his brother before turning to Bilbo, "No one told us."

"Can-? No-nothing's been cancelled." Poor Bilbo was exasperated at this point.

"Well, that's a relief." Kili pushed his way in with Fili thumping behind him.

As the two younger dwarves shed their layers and weapons, Kili questioned the hobbit on his home while Bilbo yelled at them to keep it clean. Dwalin appeared and yelled at the two, taking their attention from their current activities.

"Fili, Kili, come on, give us a hand."

Kili smiled and slapped the older dwarf on the back, "Mister Dwalin."

Balin came out of a room and gained their attention. "Let's shove this in the hallway, otherwise we'll never get everyone in."

Bilbo stood there again with weapons in his arms as the dwarves started rearranging his home. "Ev-everyone? How many more are there?"

Someone was at the door again and Bilbo exploded.

"Oh no. No, no! There's nobody home. Go away, and bother somebody else. There's far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is. If- if- If this is some clotterd's idea of a joke, ha ha, I can only say, it is in very poor taste." Upon opening the door, an entire heap of dwarves, eight to be exact, fell in. Struggling to get up, they grumbled and yelled at each other, "Get off!". Gandalf stood behind them and poked his head through the open doorway.

As the entire group of dwarves, 12 of them, began raiding Bilbo's pantry and taking out all his food, he tried fruitlessly to have them to put it back. Bombur walked out of the pantry with three entire wheels of cheese while Oin and Gloin walked through the hall carrying chairs from one of Bilbo's rooms. As he tried to stop them, the dwarves continued bringing all of Bilbo's food and furniture into the dining room. Dori approaches Gandalf with a tray and some tea.

Gandalf walked out of the dining room, trying to avoid the scurrying dwarves. He hit his head on the chandelier, then began counting the dwarves on his fingers. "Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori...Ori."

Bilbo stood in front of his pantry in shock; it had been entirely cleared of food. Behind him, the dwarves were throwing food around while Fili walked on top of the table, carrying several cups of ale and knocking aside the food in his way. One of the dwarves yelled, "On the count of three!" and the dwarves pounded their tankards together. Someone else counted, "One!...Two!" Then all the dwarves went quiet, drinking their ale together, ale falling over their faces and ran down their beards. When finished, they began burping and the youngest, Ori, let out the biggest burp making all the dwarves laugh.

Bilbo ran around once they were done eating, trying to clean up and rescue his doilies and dishes from the brutish hands of dwarves who found his antics so amusing, they sang about it. When they were done and laughing, there are three loud knocks on the door, and everyone fell silent.

"He is here."

They opened the door, and there stood Thorin. "Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."

The dwarves gathered around and ushered the last dwarf to the dining room where they saved him a share of the food.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin?" Dwalin asked his friend, "Did they all come?"

"Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms."

The dwarves murmured their joy but Dwalin was the one to ask the question. "What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?"

"They will not come."

Bilbo listened on to the details of their quest. Where far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak. The Lonely Mountain. It was time, they said, when the ravens seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold: When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end. Although, what the beast was, was an entirely different matter. Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of their age. Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metals, and so on as one of the dwarves told it. He knew what a dragon was and was unimpressed by their willingness to go against such a fierce creature.

"And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time." Kili spoke adamantly, focusing the attention unto the wizard.

"Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that, I- -"Gandalf spluttered while Thorin looked at him amused and those around him started arguing again.

"You forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain." Balin said, breaking the noise.

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Twiddling his fingers, Gandalf produced a dwarvish key, ornately wrought. Thorin looked at it in wonder.

"How came you by this?"

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." Gandalf hands the key to Thorin as everyone looks on in wonder.

"If there is a key, there must be a door."

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done."

Ori spoke up then, "That's why we need a burglar."

Bilbo agreed not realizing the trouble he was about to get himself into. "Hm, A good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine."

Another argument broke about whether Bilbo was able to withstand the journey or if was and expert or not. Gandalf declared himself with a strike of his staff.

"Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this."

Where Thorin agreed and Balin handed him a contract, Bilbo very much disagreed. It was a summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, and so forth. Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of total profit, if any. Seems fair. Eh, Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations ... evisceration … incineration? What in Middle Earth was all this about?

Thorin leaned towards Gandalf and gave him a look. "I cannot guarantee his safety."

"Understood."

With a grim expression as a memory passed through Thorin's mind, he continued. "Nor will I be responsible for his fate."

"Agreed."

When he fainted, Gandalf picked him up and set Bilbo in his favourite chair with a cup of tea, trying to cajole him into joining them. "You've been sitting quietly for far too long. Tell me; when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? I remember a young Hobbit who always was running off in search of elves and the woods, who'd stay out late, come home after dark, trailing mud and twigs and fireflies. A young Hobbit who would have liked nothing better than to find out what was beyond the borders of the Shire. The world is not in your books and maps; it's out there."

Thorin and Balin were listening in on their conversation as Bilbo told Gandalf he had the wrong Hobbit and he wasn't going. The latter spoke first, "It appears we have lost our burglar. Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy-makers; hardly the stuff of legend."

Thorin gave a wane smile, "There are a few warriors amongst us."

"Old warriors."

"I will take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they came." He placed a hand over his heart as he remembered some of the last words Lapis told him that stuck with him all these years. "Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that."

Balin sighed, "You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."

Thorin held out the key Gandalf gave him. "From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."

His older friend clasped his shoulder, "Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."

* * *

 _Ladies and Gents, Whomever, there is only one more chapter to this book. Please look for the next book The Pearl of Middle Earth. see what happens to Lapis and what damage may be wrought. toodles._


	10. End of a Beginning

**Ch 10 End of a Beginning**

Three months later, Lapis was lounging in the ruins of Dale, soaking in the warm sun while her children gave chase to one another through the streets. Long ago, when they moved into the city, they had gathered up the bones and corpses of those who lived here before the attack and placed them in a large building on the outskirts of the city. She wasn't sure what it was used for, but there was enough room for the task. They would be leaving for Beorn's land tonight and her children always became excited the day of, no matter they were 170 years old now, fifty years older than she was when they hatched. Everything had been calm in their life, minus the episode at Beorn's, and Lapis couldn't have been happier. As if to contradict her, a low rumble echoed and shook the ground, making Lapis fall from her perch and land on her hands and knees. She knew that sound, Smaug was waking up.

But why? It had been sixty years since he had fallen asleep, what had changed to wake him? She slid down the tower and ran along the broken rampart walls to the side that faced the mountain, her children right behind. The each changed as they landed, looking curiously at Erebor with their mother. Nothing else happened, no other shakes or noises to prove Smaug was awake. They looked down at Lapis and waited for her to say something. Finally, Tarin spoke the question her siblings wanted to know.

"Are we going to Beorn's tonight? Has Smaug finally woke up?"

"I don't know, I'll have to go look. If anything, you three go without me and I'll stay here in case he starts to move." Lapis wanted to go, she missed the man-bear and wanted to tell him something important. But if Smaug woke and she wasn't there, Lapis wasn't sure what would happen. The larger, male dragon had staked a claim on her being older and bigger. As far as animals went, he was her alpha, and that fact terrified her.

"We've never gone without you though." Meio said, surprise coloring her voice.

"You've flown the path many times, you will be fine to finally do it alone. We will discuss this later, I'm going to check and see if he moved." Lapis jumped from the stone wall and shifted partway to fit through the opening without disturbing any rock or debris that had shifted since her last visit.

Gliding through the front entrance, Lapis maneuvered her way around the halls and broken columns until she hovered at the entrance of Smaug's mountain of treasure. Surveying the area, she remembered the section to the left hallway up had more gold stacked on. Landing on a balcony, knowing if she touched the gold and he was partway awake, he would wake fully. Lapis scanned the area and then she spotted it, a section of his red hide peeking out from the gold and it was his eye. Closed. Holding her breath, Lapis glided down and flew out as quickly as she could with disrupting anything. She landed back at Dale where her children were still waiting for her on the guard wall.

"Is he awake?" Keahi demanded.

Lapis smiled up at her son, he was going to be a great partner for whomever he claimed. He was always so protective of her and his sisters. "No, but he has moved. My decision is final, go without me. Something has disrupted his sleep and I don't want him to go on a rampage when he wakes."

The three looked less than pleased but they didn't argue, they knew better than to try. That night when the sun set, Keahi took the lead with Tarin and Meio on either side of him, slightly behind him. Lapis watched them leave from the highest point in Dale until they disappeared into the night sky, then turned her attention back to the Mountain. What would happen when Smaug emerged?

Keahi didn't let them rest long as Lapis would have, preferring to leave the dark forest sooner. There was something in the shadows of the trees that made him uneasy, he could sense something it unsettled him more that he couldn't see anything. They made it to Beorn's home earlier than normal, shifted upon landing and locked themselves into the Hall. While they could take on the Bear if it was agitated, none of them like the thought of hurting the other shifter. Making their way to corner of the hall where their temporary nest was set up out of hay, Keahi flopped down on the blankets that covered the tough straw. Meio curled up at his side like normal while Tarin laid across both of them, her head resting on Meio's thighs. They fell asleep with no issue and slept until they were woken by Beorn moving around in the kitchen.

"You are missing someone."

The three stirred awake to see Beorn setting places for them at his table. While the man was mostly wild, his people still had manners and disciplines when they were a whole and Beorn was intent for them to learn what he knew.

"Mama had to stay behind, there was a chance Smaug might be waking up." Keahi offered the information while helping his sisters up.

Beorn paused in his motions before taking a tray of honey bread from one of the dogs. "Come eat then, nothing will change even with your mother missing."

For the rest of the day, they helped Beorn with his chores and some reconstruction to the fence line around the front of the main property. He had taught them over the years how to build, cultivate, and care for the land and animals, and while this wasn't really a skill the dragons needed, they enjoyed the work when they visited. Tarin more than her siblings and they too had noticed recently the sideways glances Beorn was giving their sister. As the sun was setting, the giant man looked to the trees and stiffened. They all noticed and examined the horizon for whatever caught Beorn's attention.

"What is it?" Tarin asked softly.

"Orcs." There was a growl to his voice and Beorn turned back to them. "Go back to the house and stay inside."

"We can help." Keahi insisted, stepping forward.

"No. Your mother entrusted your safety to me and fighting Orcs is all but that, and if they captured you, as dragons…" His voice trailed off. "No, stay inside the Hall and don't come out until I return."

The rebellious look on Keahi face told Beorn he wanted to do anything but as his sister's tugged on his arms, he fell in step with them returning to the hall. Beorn waited until the door was closed before latching the outside and shifting into his bear and running into the trees. There were Orcs near his land and that wasn't going to abide.

The siblings didn't sleep and lounged up on the loft where there was a small window to look out of to the trees where Beorn had disappeared. As dawn crested, Tarin's attention was drawn from the sky to the trees where a group of beings were running to the house. She frowned at them, wondering who they were and why they were running. Keahi and Meio must have heard them as they joined her at the window and watched as they neared Beorn's home.

"Should we stop them?" Meio asked aloud.

Keahi frowned at the group crossing the fence line and rapidly approaching the door. They knew Beorn didn't mind visitors, but he preferred to know who they were or see them coming. The sound of cracking tree trunks reached his ears and his eyes widened seeing the enormous bear bounding from the trees and running after the group. Looking back, he saw Meio and Tarin peering over the edge of the loft in the direction of the front door Beorn had locked behind him. There was pounding and shouts coming from the others side before the door opened and the group spilled into the Hall, trying to latch the door closed as Beorn snarled, trying to push his way in with his head. The three hunkered down on the raised floor overlooking the large house, watching the intruders who were talking amongst themselves. None of them knew what to do, having never met anyone else other than Beorn. From their appearance, they surmised most of them were dwarves with a man and someone one else with very large, hairy feet.

Meio and Tarin looked to Keahi who was the substitute alpha when their mother wasn't around. He didn't know what to do either, it wasn't their home to defend and Keahi knew Beorn might kill someone if he came back and his home was destroyed, or animals harmed. There was only one thing he could think of, stay out of sight until the other shifter came back. From the stories their mother had told them, Keahi didn't doubt the three of them could hold their own and win with little effort, but his respect for Beorn was greater than the need to fight. He waved them back so not to be seen, silently retreating until they couldn't see the company of dwarves any longer. Unsure of what to do, or what Beorn would do as a man, they were left with no choice but to wait until he returned.

Luckily, it was only a matter of hours when Beorn returned, slumping into the hall and looking around at the sleeping bodies decorating his home. He turned his attention to the loft where he saw three sets of eyes alternating between watching him and the unwelcomed visitors. Deftly and silently, the siblings dropped from the upper floor. None of them noticed one of the company awake and staring at them with wide eyes before pressing himself back into the hay. Beorn led them outside, shutting the door before leading them a bit from the house.

"What happened?" Tarin asked, seeing something splashed on different areas of his skin.

"There are Orcs after these dwarfs, and their two companions. I don't believe you three should stay here any longer, I'm not sure what is going to happen, but I would never forgive myself if something happened to one of you. Return home, come back in a week. Hopefully your mother will join you then."

Dismay crossed over Tarin's face before sadness took over. She didn't want to leave, neither did her brother or sister, but Tarin didn't want to leave Beorn anymore. However, without the cover of night, they couldn't leave yet. The group of four looked back to the large hall together and wondered what would become of that day.

* * *

 _well now everyone, this is the end and the next book will be up within the next few days._


End file.
